Ink-jet printing is typically accomplished using one of two technologies, thermal ink-jet and piezoelectric ink-jet printing. In thermal ink-jet printing, a print head has an array of nozzles. Each nozzle typically includes a heater element that is used to vaporize the ink and push out an ink bubble of a predetermined size onto the paper.
Typically, as the number of nozzles increase and the size of the bubbles decrease, the limitations and tolerances of the print head become more demanding. The high tolerances used to produce the print head can lead to manufacturing defects which can cause one or more of the heater elements to be electrically shorted. Other effects can also cause shorting of heating elements, including ink buildup within the nozzle. Shorting of heating elements within the nozzles can reduce the quality of the output from the printer. Also, electrical shorts can cause failure of the heating element or in some cases, a cascade failure of the entire print head or printer may occur.
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.